Line-holder.



PATBNTED JAN. 9, 1906.

C. STRAESSER. LINE HOLDER.

APPLIGATION'PILED 13130.22, 1904.

1I Ill UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

LINE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application iilecl December 22, 1904. Serial No. 238,015.

To all whom/ t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRrsTAIN SrRAEssER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pe- Oria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Line-Holders; and.I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to line-holders for use of harnesses.

The object of the invention is to provide means for attachment to thehip-strap of harness for supporting the lines and holding them upon theback of the horses, thereby preventing them from falling-beneath thehind feet of the animal. It is a common occurrence to have the linesfall upon the ground beneath the feet of the horse because they are notproperly attached to the dashboard or other part of the vehicle. Infact, though carefully attached to the vehicle, the

-switching of the horses tail often causes the lines to become loosened.When this occurs, accidents often happen, and it is the aim of myinvention to overcome these annoyances and dangers.

In the appended drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of the hip-strap andback-strap of a harness, showing my attachment therefor. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the same in part section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of aportion of a coveringstrap, which I `may use to hide parts of my device.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of my device. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the hip and back straps where they cross, showing ahousing for the adjacent ends of two portions of my device, to bedescribed. Fig. 6 is a modiiied form of the same.

In the iigures, A represents the back-strap where it passes back to thecrupper B. The hip-strap (indicated at C) crosses the backstrap at rightangles either ab ove or beneath, as the case may be; but in the drawingsI have shown it above the said back-strap, to which it is usually sewed.In Fig. 5 is shown a' metal loop or housing D placed upon the hip-strap,as shown; but if the position of the two straps is reversed, in that theback-strap passes over the hip-strap, the usual stitching may be cutslightly, so that the former may be raised, after which the said loop Dmay be inserted between the two, as shown in Fig. 6.

I now provide two members, one of which is shown in Fig. 4, whichconsists of a length of metal E of rectangular cross-section, having oneend slightly beveled, as at F, and near the opposite end a ring G. Thisentire member may be cast in one piece or formed from wrought-iron withthe ring G riveted thereto, if desired. The portion E is preferably madein a long curve, as shown in Fig. 2, to more nearly conform to the slopeof the horses back, as will be understood. The companion member E inFig. 2 has its end oppositely beveled at F to lie upon F, as shown.However, these ends may be abutted within the loop D, if desired. Thesemembers E and E may now be secured to the strap C in any good manner or,as shown in the drawings, may be covered from view by sewing a strap Hupon said strap C, as shown in Figs. l and 2, there being a slot J cutin the ends of said strap H to permit the rings G to pass through, aswill be understood by a glance at Figs. 2 and 3.A By stitching the strapH to the strap C at both sides and ends it will be seen that the membersE and t will be firmly held in place without further means, and

Athe latter will be stiff and stand any amount of strain without movinga particle. If desired, of course, the members may be riveted to thestrap C without covering of any kind; but the former method will befound to make the neatest job. For convenience I prefer to open eachring G by forming an upwardlyextending slit, as shown. The slits arethus peculiarly placed, so that the lines cannot voluntarily slip fromthe rings, but are of sufficient width to permit the lines to be passedinto and out of the ring edgewise.

Changes of one kind and another may be made in my improved line-,holdingdevice without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention.

I am aware that rings have been used heretofore which have been screwedinto a small metal piece in the hip-strap; but this construction hasbeen found to be at fault, for the reason that the rings often becomeloosened and lost and the straps are weakened by this method. By havingflat members, such as I employ, the strap is stiffened and cannot turnover upon the back of the horse. Furthermore, there is no necessity ofmutilating the straps in applying said members. As a `matter of fact,the loop D may be dispensed with, if desired, and the stitching willanswer every purpose. Furthermore, the members IOO IIO

l may be made in one piece, if desired; but I have found it convenientto use the two pieces, so that their ends can be passed beneath thestrap A, as has been described.

I claiml. As an article of manufacture a long fiat metal member curvedin the arc of a circle and having near one end a ring, there being aslit in said ring opening upward and inward into the ring, said slitbeing in the side of the ring nearest the longest extremity of themember carrying it.

2. In a line-support, a pair of curved rigid members placed end to endin line with one another, a ring carried by each said member, theopenings thereof being at right angles to the length of the saidmembers, there being upwardly and inwardly extending slits in the ringsfor the passage of the driving-reins in combination with the hip-strapof a harness to which the members are secured, as set forth.

3. In a line-support, a pair of members in line with one another, a ringon each said member, each said ring having an upwardly and inwardlyextending slit or opening for the passage of the line, in combinationwith the hip-strap of a harness, a covering member through which therings extend, said covering member covering the ring-carrying members,and a member at the adjoining ends of the said ring-carrying members forsecuring those ends against movement as set forth.

4. The combination with the hip-strap C of a harness, of the ilat andlong members E and E lying upon said strap, the housing D inclosing theadjacent ends of the members, the rings G G formed with the saidmembers, there being openings in said rings, and the covering H forcovering all but the rings from view.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN STRAESSER.

Witnesses:

L. M. THURLow, E. J. ABERsoL.

